End Game
by Relena for President
Summary: A.C. 198. When Heero approached Relena about joining her detail, she had been amenable to the idea. It didn't hurt that she harbored personal feelings for Heero, and he knew it. Not that he would ever exploit that, but it certainly made their situation all the more convenient. However, if she was hiding things from him, it was about to make their arrangement much less agreeable...
1. So It Goes

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Relena's pen twirled between her index and middle fingers before striking the large oak table and doing another spin, before the motion was repeated. Again. And again.

Normally that was not a detail that Heero would fixate on, but the thing was moving as if it had a mind of its own. Over and over, Relena twirled and tapped, twirled and tapped, and Heero watched until he might go mad. He was tempted to reach over and snatch the thing out of her hand, just to stop the incessant motion, but that would have been even more disruptive.

But, it had been a long meeting.

They were well into hour number two, and the meeting had stretched long past lunch. Not that Heero cared for such particularities, but he did think it odd to have a meeting start at 11 a.m. He figured Relena, at least, had to be hungry. Even he was starting to be, just a little.

He eyed the clock on the back wall, even though he had plenty of other methods for keeping time on his person, including his phone. But he wasn't going to check that, or anything else; not when he was on the job. Taking his eyes off of Relena, while she was at work, would have been a breach of duty.

As of now, he had one job. And, for the most part, it was an easy one. As long as there weren't any immediate threats to neutralize. It was the unknown threats on the horizon that troubled Heero, but he tried not to distract himself with needless worry. No matter what, he had to remain vigilant.

She deserved nothing less.

Relena sighed audibly, and Heero wondered, as he watched her back, whether it was because she disagreed with what the Foreign Minister was saying, or because she was tired. He wouldn't have blamed her either way. She stretched in her seat, rolling her neck, and Heero decided it had to be the latter.

She swept her long blond hair over one shoulder, and Heero was immediately distracted by the movement. Just as quickly, he chided himself. Even when he was supposed to be watching her, he shouldn't be _watching_ her. He knew that intrinsically, and yet he still found her entrancing, much as he tried to remain impartial. The worst part was that he could tell some of the other men in the room were having the same struggle, even though most were old enough to be her father, and then some. She was _seventeen_. Heero wanted to throttle each and every one of them who looked at Relena the wrong way. And he would have, if given the opportunity…

The Foreign Minister, the current bane of his existence, at last began to cease his long-winded diatribe. At last, they had come to the "new business" order at the bottom of the agenda, meaning the meeting's end was in sight.

"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian." The older man turned his head toward Relena, who sat across the the table from him. "I recently reviewed the draft bid for the request for proposals you submitted on behalf of the Mars terraformation committee regarding the climate control system." Relena nodded eagerly. "Once the rest of the board has voted, you may go ahead and publish the bid for RFPs."

Relena dipped her head. "Thank you."

The Foreign Minister nodded curtly. "I appreciate your diligence on this issue. It has been a long time coming. Now, turning our thoughts to another matter entirely…" His lips curved into a smile. "I understand you'll be celebrating your eighteenth birthday in the capital this year?"

From his post by the door, Heero cast a steely glare at the man, then watched the back of Relena's head as she nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"That is probably for the best," the Foreign Minister said. "Perhaps this year we can avoid another international incident." He chuckled, and Heero seethed. The near-attack on Relena's birthday the previous year was no laughing matter, and Heero was surprised the senior politician was being so glib about it.

Relena nodded again. "I can assure you, this year's event will be much quieter." She turned her head then, and shot a sheepish look in Heero's direction. He frowned, but she turned her face away.

 _Event?_ Heero scowled at the back of Relena's head. _What "event"?_

He thought, after what happened last year, that any such "event" would be off the table. And anyway, they hadn't discussed it. Surely if Relena had been planning something, it would have come up at some point over the past twelve months, since he had taken over her detail…

It was last year's event that prompted Heero to take the job; at that point, Relena had been held hostage twice in the span of a few months. Her life had been endangered far too many times, and Heero was determined to do something about it.

But, then, if she was planning events behind his back, she wasn't making it any easier. And apparently, she had discussed the matter with _someone._ Heero's head jerked up at the sound of a throat clearing from the other side of the room.

"The Preventer organization is prepared to provide as much security as the Vice Foreign Minister should require for her birthday celebration," said the smooth, female voice. Heero shot Une an icy glare. Evidently she saw him looking at her, as her brown eyes slid to his briefly before returning to the Foreign Minister. "Last year, it only took six of our agents to apprehend the terrorist faction 'Epyon De Telos.' We are prepared to offer more support this year, if needed." She smiled smugly, and Heero just knew that look was meant for him.

He scowled deeply at the Preventer Commander, and tossed all protocol out the window.

"I'd rather not have a repeat of last year," he murmured. But his low voice boomed throughout the large conference room. Relena spun around in her seat and gaped at him, her eyes sending him a silent plea. He just glowered at her.

"Neither would we," Une said smoothly in answer to Heero's outburst. At least it seemed like one, in the otherwise silent space. "Which is why we will have a thorough plan in place, should the worst case scenario happen." She steepled her hands in front of her, but not before making a show of cracking her knuckles.

Heero had to work to keep from rolling his eyes. Clearly, the Commander was proud of the Preventer's accomplishments over their short tenure, but Heero had already begun distancing himself from the group. Sure, they had managed to disarm a fledgling group of terrorists, but Heero hadn't agreed with how the matter was handled. He realized at the time that each former Gundam pilot - all five of them - had been brought in to contribute his personal expertise to the mission. But if Heero had had his way, the situation would have been nullified long before it turned deadly.

At any rate, Relena was in danger for far too long that day, and Heero viewed the whole operation as sloppy. They were successful, but barely, and lucky that no one had been killed, or the entire Sanc Kingdom destroyed. That it had even come close to happening… He still blamed himself. After the incident, he opted not to return to school - he had recently completed high school and begun taking college courses - or join the Preventers full-time. Rather, he chose to remain at Relena's side to watch over her himself; something he had vowed to do from the shadows, but it became clear to him that he needed to be closer to truly keep her safe.

Much closer.

Of course, when Heero had approached Relena nearly a year ago about joining her detail, she had been amenable to the idea. It didn't hurt that she harbored personal feelings for Heero, and he knew it. Not that he would ever exploit that, but it certainly made their situation all the more convenient.

However, if she was hiding things from him, it was about to make their arrangement much less agreeable…

The meeting finally, blissfully ended, and Relena and her fellow delegates rose from their seats. Heero shot Une another glare as she slipped out of the conference room, and he was tempted to go after her and give her a piece of his mind. But he had to wait for Relena, who was gathering up her laptop and a pile of notes. She swept everything into her briefcase and headed for the door. Heero adjusted his earpiece and followed after her.

She hurried down the hallway of the ESUN capitol building, on the way to her office, but Heero caught her by the elbow to slow her steps.

"What's this about a birthday party?" he murmured into her ear. He could feel Relena bristle against his hold.

"It's not a _party_ party," she said, her voice tinged with the slightest whine.

"Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?" He wondered how Relena had managed to keep such a thing from him, when they lived and worked together.

Something she, quite frankly, seemed a little too gleeful about at times.

"Let's discuss this at _home_ ," she said, and the word had a sheen to it, even through her harsh whisper. Once again, Heero had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

So she thought she had the upper hand, did she? Well, Heero wasn't foolish enough to fall for her emotional manipulations. He could withstand anything she could throw at him. He had done it before-

As if on cue, Relena tilted her head and batted her eyelashes up at him. Heero let out a tense huff. It was already shaping up to be a long day, and he could tell it was going to be an equally long night...

* * *

 _A/N: I WANNA BE YOUR END GAME!_

Oh, hi guys! I'm back from another brief hiatus after spending November doing NaNoWriMo, in which I worked on an original fantasy novel (yay!). I hope to finish writing the whole book this winter, although that's quite a feat... And since I've been swept up in my original story, I had to make an effort to dive back into the fanfic world. So I started this story based on a recent dream I had (tee hee) in which Heero Yuy says some... interesting things. But I won't spoil it here; you'll have to keep reading to find out what happens. You know the drill... If you read this and like it so far, please drop me a review!

ALSO, I'd like to give a happy birthday shout-out to my good friend Sara, aka Mistaken-Miracles, who recently completed her first fic! YEAH GIRL! Congratulations, and happy birthday! Also, shout-out to Scarlet Eve, who finished NaNoWriMo this year with, like, a million words, because she's so freaking good. #SQUADGOALS

Anyway, I hope you like this and are ready for more fics that refer to Taylor Swift lyrics... tee hee hee. And like my recent story "Ready for It?" this also functions as a prequel of sorts to "Under the Roses," because I can't stay out of the Dex-verse if I try. Do keep an eye out for updates on my other stories soon!

Hugs!

\- RFP


	2. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Relena spent the rest of the work day talking about everything _but_ the party, and Heero was all the more convinced that she was trying to hide it from him. He spent a few hours in her office poking around her computer files from his own laptop, but found nothing to suggest she was planning anything; but, then, everyone in the meeting had been in the know but him. And that irked Heero more than he liked to admit.

They rode home through downtown Brussels in silence; Relena didn't address him again until they were alone together in her townhouse. Not that Heero expected Relena to bring up any matters pertaining to security with anyone else in earshot; not even her trusted driver. And she didn't keep any other staff at home, so once she and Heero were in the house together, they were truly alone.

Something he was all too aware of, all the damn time.

Once they had both shed their work blazers and stepped into the kitchen, Relena finally turned to him, and smiled.

"Are you hungry?" she asked brightly. It was not the conversation Heero wanted to have.

"No," he answered flatly, turning his attention to his phone, although there wasn't anything demanding his attention at the moment. He needed a distraction, other than the one standing right in front of him.

Relena placed her hands at her hips. "You will be, once the food arrives," she said in a playful, sing-song voice. She spun around and pulled a few menus out of a drawer from the center island. "I'm just going to order…"

"Fine. Go ahead." Heero continued to pretend to look at something on his phone. He had the unsettling feeling that Relena could see right through him, though. What was perhaps even more unnerving was that he couldn't decide if that actually bothered him or not. He wanted her to read his mind, in this case, and bring up the subject she was so obviously dodging. He didn't want to have to be the one to address the elephant in the room when it was _her_ subterfuge that was currently causing all of his distress…

Relena splayed out a series of menus on the island. "Okay. What do you want?" Heero frowned at her over his phone.

"I said, I'm not hungry." He caught her rolling her eyes.

"Well, what do you want to eat for later, when you _will_ be hungry?" Relena's chipper demeanor was a stark contrast to Heero's mood, and he couldn't help but grow even more irritated.

"I can heat up leftover takeout from last night," he snapped. "What's wrong with the nine or ten other cartons we already have in the refrigerator?"

Relena's eyes widened. "Wow. Is it really _that_ bad?" Heero felt a muscle tighten in his jaw.

"No," he muttered. "It's fine. I don't care." He watched as Relena arched a brow.

"Are you suggesting that I learn to cook, or something?" She folded her arms across her chest and tipped her chin up at him, a challenge in her eyes. "Why don't _you_ learn? In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty busy these days…"

Heero pocketed his phone and glared right at Relena. "And _I'm_ busy watching after y _our_ ass," he snapped. Relena's jaw dropped open, and her face colored.

"Oh, so now that's a problem, too?" She began tapping her heeled toe against the tile floor. "If so, that's the first I've heard you complain…I thought you _liked '_ watching my ass.'" Her lips curved into a smile, and Heero let out of a huff.

She was impossible to argue with. She was impossible, period.

"We're not discussing this now," he growled.

"Then what _are_ we discussing?" She tipped her head to the side, and waited, but Heero refused to give her anything more. Not until she admitted-

"Is this about the party?" she asked sweetly, her face the picture of innocence.

"There we go," Heero muttered. Relena scoffed.

"Oh, so you were waiting for me to bring this up, when clearly you're the one who's bothered?" She rolled her eyes at him. "I should have known…"

How dare she go and read his mind like that. Heero was seething. "Stop that," he said tersely.

"Stop what?" Relena blinked up at him.

"Just stop." He leaned forward and braced his hands against the marble counter. Relena just shook her head at him from her side of the island.

"I don't understand what you're so upset about," she said. "You're going to need to use words…"

"I shouldn't have to explain."

Relena sighed. "I can't read your mind, Heero, despite what you may think."

Heero slammed a hand against the counter. "Dammit, Relena…" Frustration was building inside of him, and he knew if they were to continue their conversation - if he could even call it that - he was likely to explode.

But, as usual, his stormy mood did nothing to deter Relena. She quickly came around to his side of the counter and rested a hand atop his.

"Heero," she murmured in a low, calm voice, as if attempting to soothe him. "What is this really about?"

His eyes snapped to hers. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know that you probably don't want me to have a party this year, due to security concerns…" She frowned up at him, her light blue eyes troubled. "But I can't help but think it's something more than that…"

"Yeah, it is." Heero wrenched his hand away. "It's the fact that you kept this from me." He realized too late that he sounded more hurt than angry, and cursed himself inwardly. He wasn't hurt; he was pissed. But why was it so hard to show her that? If he were in a similar situation with Duo, or even Wufei, he could express himself with his fist, and be done with it. He couldn't slug it out with Relena, though; instead they always ended up talking circles around each other, and it was exhausting.

Relena was frowning up at him. "I figured you knew there would be a party of some kind…"

He shook his head. "I didn't. It hadn't come up."

Relena clucked her tongue. "Well, as the Foreign Minister said, it's just going to be here in the capital this year. I'm not the one organizing it; ESUN is. _They_ approached me…"

"And you didn't think you should mention it to me?" Heero slowly raised his head, anger still pooling inside him.

Relena leveled him with a cool gaze, indicating she was not about to crack under the harsh glare he was casting. "I've had a lot of other things on my mind, too," she said defensively. "Why would you think I'd want to keep anything from you?"

Heero shrugged. "Because you knew I would say 'no.'"

Relena's gaze tightened. "Well, it's not up to you, although I appreciate your input." Her voice was tinged with the barest hint of sarcasm. "And anyway, from what I understand, this year is going to be a much smaller gathering, at the Palais Royal... it won't be anything like what we had in Sanc last year-"

Heero shook his head to the side. "What difference does it make?" he muttered. "That ballroom is still huge. There are a lot of logistics involved, and I need to guarantee your personal safety at all times…"

To his surprise, Relena's eyes filled. "And how can you manage that, honestly?" Her voice quivered. "Besides taking a bullet for me, or-or-"

Heero turned toward Relena and placed his finger under her chin, tipping it up so that she met his eyes. "That's what I'm prepared to do," he said softly, but sternly. "You know that." He released her chin, and reached up to thumb away her tears, but Relena abruptly turned her head, breaking their contact.

"I don't want to think about that right now," she said shakily.

"Well, I have to," Heero growled. "Every day, all the time. You should understand by now why I take these things so seriously."

"I do," Relena said fervently. She turned back to face him and grasped both of his hands in hers. "And I appreciate everything you do for me, Heero." Her voice broke, and she lowered her eyes again. "But I'm a public figure, and people expect me to have these events. I can't hide in the shadows forever. This is my _job_ ," she added emphatically, raising her eyes back to Heero.

He felt a muscle twitch in his jaw. "Is it worth your life?"

"You know it is," Relena said without a trace of hesitation. "Look at everything we've been able to accomplish over the past few years…" Her voice wavered. "I'm only one person, but I like to think I've made a difference; at least, I hope so…"

"Of course you have." He frowned, starting to feel bad for making her doubt herself. Hell, she had made enough of a difference in his own life, or he wouldn't even be there. He knew that he probably wouldn't even be _alive_ if not for her.

"Relena…" He brought his hand up to her face again, and gently tucked it under her chin. "You are… superior at what you do. There's no question." She raised hopeful eyes to him, and offered up the slightest smile.

"Thank you, Heero," she said softly. Her eyes seemed to search his, sifting for something more… words and feelings that Heero had done his best to keep buried. And just like that, he was hit by a tidal wave of emotion, a force he wasn't adept at handling. Not quite yet. Something within him swelled, and he knew it would either bend or break him.

"Why does it have to be you?" The thought made itself into words, and he could already see the confusion scrawl across Relena's face.

"What do you mean?"

Heero knew immediately that he should have bitten his tongue. He didn't yet have a good handle on his emotions, and whenever they became uncorked, they threatened to spill out of control. And, inevitably, he would end up saying or doing something stupid.

But they were out of the bottle now. And he wasn't even drunk...

* * *

 _A/N: Happy Sunday Funday! I am hoping to get back into the Sunday posting habit... At least I will do my best! This week is sure to be crazy leading up the holidays (wooooo) and I will be hosting a Christmas party (my first as Mrs. Darling, teeheehee) and traveling to see family. So, I may not get to update again until after the holiday frenzy is over, but I will do my best! You guys definitely deserve it!_

 _If we don't chat before the New Year, I want to thank each and every one of you who take the time to review, favorite and follow my stories. You've made this such a great year for me and my writing, and I'm excited to see what the next year holds! I'll do my best to keep bringing you all the 1xR you can stand, while working on my original stories, of course, which I hopehopehope some of you will be able to read, someday soon! Follow me on social media for updates... all my info's in my bio! And reach out and say hi and tell me you know me from here!_

 _So... tl;dr... Happy holidays and Happy New Year, although I hope to update again before we officially bid 2017 adieu!_

 _Hugs and Heero!_

 _\- RFP_


	3. Look What You Made Me Do

Heero sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"Last year, the Sanc Kingdom almost became a mushroom cloud," he growled. "And you- you…" He hardened his eyes, refusing to let the torrent of emotions get the best of him. "And I… I had to prioritize human life throughout the operation, and was told to avoid casualties, at all costs. Even on the other side." He paused for a moment, clenching his hands into fists. "Do you have any idea what I wanted to do?"

Relena rested a hand on his arm. "I know…"

"No, you don't," he snapped. "You couldn't. And that's good, because you shouldn't have to." Heero could feel himself starting to shake with rage. He was no stranger to the sensation, and yet he had become so good at squashing it down. He tensed as Relena tightened her grip on his arm.

"Don't patronize me, Heero." Her eyes glinted fiercely up at him. "I know what it's like to be angry enough to kill someone. I understand more than you know." She dropped his arm and lowered her gaze. "If that's what's bothering you…"

Heero laughed darkly. "No," he said, his lips curling upward, although his expression was far from a smile. "It's not that. I know I wouldn't have killed those bastards. I'm far too weak." He shook his head to the side. He felt Relena squeezing his arm again.

"Then what…"

Heero raised his eyes to meet hers once again. "I didn't want to follow orders that day, because the plan was flawed from the start," he said slowly. "And yet I knew going in, guns blazing, wasn't the answer, either." He frowned. "But if given the chance, I… I would have given those terrorists everything they wanted." He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "I would have given them anything, for you. The Sanc Kingdom, or the rest of the world."

A muscle feathered in Relena's jaw. "We don't negotiate with terrorists, Heero…" She scolded him lightly, almost as if she was kidding.

"And that's why I'm not a Preventer," he said coolly. "I would compromise the organization in your favor every time. Without a doubt." He lowered his head. "I have… no sense when it comes to you." He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Not any more."

She was in his head, but it was more than that… She was like his blood and marrow. The thought of losing her was too much… He could no longer breathe without her. Over the course of the past year, in trying to get closer to her, while maintaining his distance, something had darkened in his life. She was an eclipse on his soul.

Heero still didn't know what it meant, exactly. But he did know that there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, now. No matter how brash or foolish or dangerous it might be.

"Heero…" Relena's expression was full of concern. "I think you worry too much."

"That's my job," he countered.

"I know." Her voice had taken on the calm, liquid tone that always promised to soothe him. "But I think you could relax a little. Especially now that we're home." She put emphasis on that last word again. Heero was tempted to retort that it was _her_ home, not his, but he didn't have another argument in him. "Can we talk about this party later?" she asked.

"I'd rather not," Heero mumbled around the tension in his jaw. "I'd rather you not have one at all."

Relena let out a stark laugh. "Heero… I can't back out of this; I told you, ESUN is putting this on. It's a goodwill gesture. Besides, we haven't received any known threats in a while, have we?" She tilted her head toward him. "Unless there's something you're not telling me?"

"No," Heero admitted. "But that doesn't mean there aren't any out there." His eyes darkened. "No one was expecting was happened last year…"

"I think the odds of last year repeating itself are very slim," Relena said, her voice still radiating calm. "Anyway, we've talked about this before, Heero… back when you first joined my detail. I told you, in spite of everything, that I don't want to live in a cage." She frowned, her eyes swirling up at him. "You do understand that, don't you?"

 _What's wrong with a cage?_ He wanted to say. No, not a cage, but a fortress. He needed to be able to keep her somewhere that he knew would always be safe. Living in the heart of Brussels, the capital of ESUN, wasn't that. He knew how badly Relena wanted her independence, but he had to wonder just how much she valued that over her own safety.

All Heero knew was that he couldn't bear the thought of Relena falling into another hostage situation. It would be a lot more difficult for such a thing to occur, now that he was by her side constantly, but he _was_ capable of being killed; and then what would happen to her? He could only do so much.

His desperation was rising.

"How long?" he found himself asking. Relena eyed him quizzically.

"How long for what, Heero?" She arched a brow, awaiting further explanation. He had to hand it to her for always patiently allowing him to sort through his tangled thoughts out loud, no matter how bizarre they sounded.

"How long are we going to live this way?" He stepped back and leaned against the counter behind him, and nodded toward her. "When the war ended… was this what you envisioned?"

Relena blinked up at him. "I… yes," she said slowly. "I saw myself continuing in my father's footsteps, either in politics or public service of some kind. And you…" She paused and licked her lips. "I mean… I hoped I would get to see you around, every now and then. I never could have dreamed you would drop everything and become my bodyguard." She shook her head to the side, a smile crossing over her lips. "After everything that happened between us… I mean, it was this crazy, girlhood fantasy come to life. You _did_ try to kill me, after all, only to become my… savior of sorts." She wagged a finger up at him, her eyes gleaming. "Talk about a complex…"

"Relena." Heero caught her outstretched hand in his. "Tell me this is what you actually want, and I'll do it. Or..."

Relena's smile faded. "Or what? What else would we be doing with our lives? I know you were going to school, and by no means did I expect you to drop out or anything…" Relena's frown deepened. "Is that what you want, Heero? To finish college? If you did, you know I'd only encourage you to... I'd even pay for it, if you needed help…"

Heero shook his head rapidly. "I don't care about that. And I wouldn't ask for your help."

"But…" Relena's eyes were clouded with confusion. "It just sounds like you're unhappy, doing… this. And I don't want to hold you back from doing whatever it is you _want_ to do." She clasped both of her hands tightly around his, clutching them together mid-air. "You have unlimited potential, Heero. So if you're asking me if I expect you to stay as my bodyguard forever, the answer is 'no.'" She shook her head wildly, as if to emphasize her point. "I want you to feel free to enjoy this new world that you helped create. I know that after what happened last year, you felt obligated to come here and-"

"It's not an obligation," Heero cut in, frowning. "I wanted to. It was my decision. If anything, I convinced you to let me stay and work for you."

To his chagrin, Relena's eyes teared up again. "Oh, please. You know I _begged_ you to stay with me, at one point. And probably more than once, too." She shook her head and laughed, as if trying to dispel her tears. "It's pretty pathetic, right? Here I am arguing with you about why I think I'm such a valuable politician, and then I fall apart at the thought of you leaving… It's silly, I know." She sniffed. "That I can't even fathom life without you, and so my selfishness is forcing you to stay and risk your life for me, day after day, and I haven't even really stopped to fully think about _that_ , because I've just been so giddy that you moved into my house, and I get to see you every day…" She paused, her chest heaving in a labored sigh.

"Don't cry." Heero interrupted her gently, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. "Why does it seem like I'm always making you cry?" He attempted a smile, but it was thin. It seemed to do the trick, though. Relena laughed and dabbed at her tears.

"It's not your fault. You know I need to have my good cry now and then." She flicked her remaining tears away, and smiled at Heero more fully. "I just… I really don't want you to leave. As selfish as that sounds. And if this is all about that party, then I'll tell ESUN to cancel it. Or they can have it without me, and make it about something else." She brought her hands back to join his, and squeezed them tightly. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "If you want to go back to school, or quit this job, or anything else, then you know I will support your decision." She lowered her eyes. "I know I can't ask you to stay forever, but… I hope we can still…" She broke off her sentence before finishing. "No… Why does it feel like that's too much to ask, too?"

Heero frowned down at her. "What are you asking?"

"I _should_ ask you what it is you really want," she answered quietly. "Maybe I'm just too afraid to hear the answer." She heaved in another sigh, and raised her eyes back up to his. "But it's only fair. You should tell me." She kept her gaze steady. "It's okay," she added firmly. "I promise, whatever it is, I won't get upset."

Heero felt his chest squeeze. The pressure was almost too much to bear.

"I don't want to leave," he said after a long, agonizing moment. "And if I did, I'd want to take you with me."

Relena's eyes widened. "You would?"

Heero couldn't help but smile. "Why does that surprise you? Where have I been for the past year?"

Relena's face flushed. "Working for me…"

"Yeah," Heero said flatly. "I didn't have to move in with you, though. You asked me to, so I did. Not that I would have had it any other way."

"Really?" Relena's eyes brightened.

"This seems to be the best possible arrangement for us," Heero said matter-of-factly, hoping logic would help rein in his unruly emotions. It all made sense to him, somehow; they needed each other, in different ways. "However," he continued, "I have to question whether our chosen career path is sustainable. I just… think we would both benefit from a different scenario."

Relena frowned. "Like what?"

Suddenly, logic fled his mind, and Heero was tongue-tied.

"I think…" He began, but his mouth had gone dry. He frowned and tried to start over. "I just…"

"What is it, Heero?" Relena leaned closer to him, placing both of her hands on his shoulders. "You can tell me…"

Heero could feel heat rising in his chest, as if at any moment his body might burst into flames. Maybe it was the effect of her closeness, of her hands on him, however innocent their placement, that threatened to send his already unbridled emotions teetering over the edge.

He was doomed, and he knew it.

"I want to marry you, and live in seclusion," he blurted.

* * *

 _A/N_ : _I would like to present the above without comment... but you know, I almost always comment ;) Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to favorite, follow or review this little story so far! I'm glad you have questions, as I'm gradually teasing this story out... you know that's how I roll, especially if you've already read_ Under the Roses _. You will figure out their status soon, and see more of how their relationship has developed. Overall, I just wanna keep the fluff coming! And I couldn't resist another update before Christmas... I mean, there's still plenty of 2017 left for writing and posting, right? I'll do my best to get a few more updates in before we ring in the New Year! And I will be checking in on my other stories as well, so thank you, once again, for your patience._

 _Hugs!_

 _\- RFP_


	4. End Game

Relena's eyes went rounder than he'd ever seen them.

"Wh… what?" She blinked once, and her eyes somehow widened even more.

Heero was still trying to process what he'd said; he couldn't even believe that he'd said it. He'd never given any thought to marriage; he never even gave much thought to the future. He just knew that, for now, he needed to be by Relena's side, so he was. It was _other_ people that always seemed to insist there was something more to Heero's devotion to Relena than mere protectiveness… Nosy people, like his so-called friend, Duo. He in particular had given Heero a hard time for joining Relena's detail, and taking things one step further by moving into her home.

" _I should've known you'd be shacking up with the princess sooner or later."_ Duo had taunted him in a vid-call, mere weeks after Heero had begun to settle into his new reality. Heero was immediately defensive.

" _We're not 'shacking up,'"_ he growled. " _It's for her safety."_

" _Whatever, man. You're not foolin' me."_ Duo chuckled. " _Anyway, who cares? No one expects you to be a virgin forever."_

" _It's not like that."_ Heero felt the need to defend Relena's virtue, for whatever reason. " _I work for her."_

" _I bet you do,"_ Duo said with a snort. Heero unleashed a series of curses at the former Deathscythe pilot, who only guffawed in response. " _Come on, man seriously,"_ Duo said after he'd finished laughing. " _You've gotta learn to relax. Why fight the inevitable? Everyone knows you and Relena are end game."_

" _End game?"_ Heero echoed. " _The hell does that mean?"_

Duo sighed. " _You are sad and pathetic, aren't you? Seriously, you'd be so lost without me-"_

" _What,"_ Heero interrupted, " _the hell are you talking about?"_

" _End game! Ya know?"_ Duo blurted. " _It means you're soulmates, and you're gonna end up together. As long as you don't do somethin' to screw it up..."_

Heero wondered, now, if he already had. He certainly hadn't planned to propose marriage to Relena; not when he'd never even told her how he really felt about her. He still wasn't sure how to put it into words; he hadn't given himself much time to think it through before opening his mouth. Now, all he could do was stand there stupidly, wishing he could take his brazen words back, all the while bracing for Relena's response. She could laugh, or call him crazy, or both; either of those things would have been a valid reaction, in his mind.

Instead, Relena went very still, keeping her hands on Heero's shoulders. A full minute passed, and Heero realized he was holding his breath. Finally, Relena tipped her head to the side.

"What do you mean by 'seclusion,' exactly?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. "Do you mean like a deserted island, or…"

"Relena." Heero reached up and grasped her shoulders then. "Did you hear what I just said?"

She nodded. "I heard you. And I believe you would want to do something like that."

Heero felt his eyes widen. "You do?"

"Of course." Relena gave him an easy smile. "I'm not surprised that you would want to resort to extreme security measures. All I want to know is whether that's the only thing motivating you." Her smile wavered, ever so slightly. "Before I give you an answer, I need _you_ to answer something for me."

"What is it?" Heero gripped her shoulders tightly, not even sure why he felt a surge of… something, just then. A rush of adrenaline, hurtling him into battle…

Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "Are you in love with me?"

It was impossible to miss the naked vulnerability there. He could see the girl who had flipped his whole world around, who faced down aristocratic militaries and dignitaries and terrorists with barely a blink, was as delicate as she was strong. His hands wrapped around her shoulders; he could feel her tremble. Relena's eyes were swimming, and suddenly whatever cord that had always seemed to link them, intrinsically, threatened to snap; or, at the very least, wear thin, if he were to answer her wrong.

"Relena, I-" Why were the words so hard to find? Why, after he'd said-

"Because I'm in love with you," she said, her voice finding its strength, the kind that could bend men, entire nations, to her will. "But, then, you know that." She smiled, and trailed her fingers from his shoulder to his shirt collar, meeting the flesh beneath the fabric. "You _must_ know."

"Relena…" He bent his head to hers. He couldn't resist her touch, her warmth, which was why he usually took such pains to avoid it. They were always dancing around the flames. Relena tipped her face toward his, catching his lips with hers. Fire licked at his throat, and it felt like the room, the entire house, was about to burn down.

He placed a hand to the small of her back, pressing her closer to him, while his other hand tangled itself in her long hair. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down to hers, deepening their contact. It didn't take long for Relena to shift her right leg to the side, ever so slightly, and Heero knew exactly what she wanted him to do. He hoisted her in the air, and she immediately coiled her legs around his middle. But instead of leaning her up against the counter, which was tempting, Heero turned and carried her out of the kitchen and into the adjacent living room, kissing her all the while.

He half-stumbled onto the couch, after setting Relena down as carefully as he could. But urgency was driving him as his need for her became all-consuming, and the flames burning within him rose higher and higher…

As he laid Relena down against the cushions and moved to straddle her, Heero knew he was probably going much faster than she normally liked, but she said nothing to indicate it was a problem. If anything, she seemed just as eager as he was to remove their clothing and eliminate any last barriers between them. But this time, Heero couldn't wait that long.

He hitched her skirt up just enough, and thankfully Relena had already started on his belt and zipper, as he pushed her panties to the side. Seconds later, he gently eased himself inside, remembering to go slowly at first. He waited until Relena gave him a silent nod, her signal to continue, before pushing his way in a little further. When she gasped sharply into his ear, he slowed down again. He was eager to speed up his pace, but he had learned it wouldn't work until she was comfortable. Much as he wanted to rush, he knew taking his time would be worth the effort.

The intimacy between them was still relatively new. It had happened over the course of the past year, and only a handful of times, usually when one or both of them needed a reprieve from the daily pressures that threatened to take a toll. Neither of them went out of their way to seek it out, though; Heero realized he didn't even know why Relena was sometimes more hesitant than he was, but then he'd never bothered to ask her. He only gave her what she wanted when she indicated to him that she wanted it, which was usually communicated by a certain wistful look, a signal Heero had come to recognize as her green light.

For his part, he tried his best to keep from jumping her every chance he had. He was far too principled to just take what he knew she was willing to give him, just because he felt like it. Every time, he approached her cautiously; a graze of his hand, a kiss on the neck, a massage of the shoulders. Relena's eyes would light up just about anytime he came close, and Heero knew it meant she was game for anything, but he was still fearful of pushing her too far. He knew how convenient their situation was - he had certainly come to benefit from it - and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize it.

He felt her fingers digging into his shoulder then, and she gave a tiny gasp, which dissipated into a breathy moan. Even if he didn't know, exactly, what he was doing, he paid close attention to her non-verbal cues to see if he was at least doing something right. She would rapidly tap him on the shoulder when she wanted him to slow down or stop, and press in closer when she wanted him to continue. Sometimes, he felt her center squeeze around him, too, and it drove him absolutely insane.

She was doing it now; that, and the feeling of her hips writing beneath his fingers was enough to send Heero over the edge. He grunted and buried his face in her shoulder as the force of his release overwhelmed him. The sensation that pulsed through him was nothing short of electric as the pressure that had been building inside of him finally emptied. And she took the burden from him, and kissed his forehead lightly as she stroked her fingers through his hair. It was in rare moments like these when Heero found himself feeling completely and utterly relaxed. It was a feeling he knew that only she was capable of giving him; he had first discovered it when he fell into her arms on Christmas Eve, over a year ago. He was battered and broken, but in her arms, he found a harbor, and could only hope that he provided the same for her. He had to believe she derived as much comfort from their encounters as he did.

This time, though, he sensed something was different between them. They stayed like that on the couch for a while, their clothes a rumpled mess, arms and legs still tangled together, Relena's head resting against Heero's chest. He threaded his fingers through her hair and allowed the weight of the day to lift off of him, until he was content enough to fall asleep. He could tell from the sound Relena's even breathing that she was nearly there, and then Heero couldn't fight it any longer, and allowed himself to drift.

But before he could slip into oblivion, the sound of Relena's voice, soft and sweet in his ear, called him back to Earth.

"Heero… Are we really getting married?"

 _End. Game._

* * *

 _A/N: Hello, lovelies! Happy belated New Year! Hope you're enjoying it so far! New year, new slate... As you know, I have a few fics to finish up here, so I decided to put this one to bed - teehee, LITERALLY - at least for now... I haven't decided if there's going to be a bonus chapter or not, although I have written some additional scenes. But me being me, I wrote some backstory stuff (because I'm crazy) that I may save for another story (because I can). Shall we continue to expand the Dex-verse into infinity?! What do you think?_

 _Hope you're all having a great week! Please leave me a comment if you liked this story, want to see it continue, or simply want to see more like this! Or, ya know, if you didn't like it, that's perfectly OK, too. ;)_

 _Hugs!_

 _\- RFP_


	5. Getaway Car

_A/N: As promised, here is a bonus/flashback chapter... which will probably lead to more bonus/flashback chapters... I wasn't sure if I was going to save this stuff for another story or not, but since this is yet another chapter titled after a Taylor Swift song (teehee), I figured why not just include it all here? Anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

 _Sunday Funday continues!_

 _\- RFP_

* * *

 **April 9, A.C. 197**

" _Heero Yuy, where are you?! And where is Relena?"_

Une's face was a whirl of fury inside Heero's vid-phone.

"Someplace safe," he replied cryptically. Une's eyes blazed at him through the screen.

" _You were not authorized to take her out of Sanc,"_ the newly-minted Preventers Commander snapped.

"Not by you," Heero retorted. "I'm taking orders from ESUN, now."

Une's brows lifted. " _Since when?"_

Heero straightened in his seat. "Since I became Relena's personal bodyguard."

" _What?"_ The Commander looked truly baffled. " _That wasn't part of the plan."_

Heero gave a careless shrug. "New plan. Anyway, she's safe, and that's all that matters. The mission is complete."

" _The operation is far from over,"_ Une said sharply. " _We have a full-blown investigation underway, Yuy. You can't just whisk Relena away at a time like this!"_

Heero shook his head to the side. "I did what I had to do, to keep her safe."

Une gave a labored sigh. " _Well, I'm sure Relena appreciates your heroics, but we still have questions we need her to answer. Can you at least put her on?"_

Heero shook his head again. "Not today. She'll call you when she's ready." He hardened his eyes down at his screen. "She's been through enough." He matched his no-nonsense tone with a steely glare, refusing to leave any room for argument.

" _Fine,"_ Une relented, and Heero was sure that she wouldn't have if she didn't have other, more pressing matters to attend to. " _You have a couple of days, but then I expect a full report. You still acted as a Preventer,"_ she reminded him sternly, " _and this is a Preventer matter."_

"Understood," Heero said in a flat voice, knowing then and there that he would ultimately have to sever ties with Preventer, if he was going to continue to act in Relena's best interest. Which, in truth, was all he wanted to do.

He disconnected the call, grateful to be away from Une's ire, and all but dropped his phone on the kitchen counter. He could see Relena through the window where she sat on the edge of the cottage porch, her bare feet dangling over the sand. Heero strode out of the kitchen and through the front door to join her outside. He sat down beside her, sinking his own bare feet into the cool sand.

"How are you feeling?"

Relena turned her head to look at him, and the vacant expression in her eyes gradually vanished. She smiled, and he couldn't help but notice how her sapphire eyes rivaled the color of the sea that laid before them.

"Much better." She tipped her head at him. "This place is... breathtaking. How did you ever find it?"

Heero's lips twitched. "I came across it in my travels, a while back. I thought you might like it."

"I love it." Relena's eyes glimmered in the waning sunlight. "Thank you." There was a softness in her expression that made Heero want to draw closer to her. He offered her a smile of his own as he reached up to brush a loose strand of hair from her cheek.

"You don't have to thank me." He frowned. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I should have been there for you. I-"

"Heero." Relena cut him off with a hand in the air. "Stop. Please, don't blame yourself for what happened. None of it was your fault."

He shook his head, but he still couldn't dispel the guilt that ate at him. "I knew you were having a party. I should have gone, just to make sure nothing happened. It's only been a few months since you were kidnapped the last time…"

"You couldn't have known this would happen," Relena said with a sigh. "You've had school, and other things to worry about. And I told you not to spend so much time worrying about me," she added.

They'd had a similar conversation following the Mariemaia Incident just months earlier, after Heero tagged along with Relena for a few public events in Brussels, just to ensure her safety. She had reassured him, multiple times, that she would be fine, and urged him to go and live his life. He had reluctantly agreed, and they parted ways. But over the next few months, he couldn't fight the nagging feeling that he should have remained by her side.

A year before that, just before final battle of the Eve Wars, he knew. He had found the one he needed to protect, and that became his reason for living. He had planned to die, but something about her made him want to keep on going. No, not something...

Everything.

* * *

When Heero got the call on April 8th, A.C. 197, the day after Relena's seventeenth birthday, that she was being held hostage at her party in the Sanc Kingdom castle, along with dozens of other diplomats and staffers, he was seized with a terror like no other. And the men who'd captured her were demanding a sky-high ransom and the right to bear arms, all while threatening to detonate a nuclear warhead if their demands were not met within twenty-four hours.

Back when he piloted the Wing Zero, the system had shown him many visions in which the Sanc Kingdom erupted into flames and dwindled into nothingness, and Relena along with it. How many times had he watched her image combust before his very eyes?

 _No, no, no…_ His heart couldn't take it. He hadn't even had the chance to make her his. What if she died, not knowing? He couldn't let that happen. He would die along with her.

He quickly joined the rest of the former Gundam pilots on the hastily-assembled Preventers team. By then, Quatre had already taken command and composed a thorough plan to infiltrate the Sanc Castle, involving Trowa on a tightrope to trigger the surveillance cameras the captors had set up, while Wufei and Sally acted as representatives of ESUN, bringing the terrorists their demanded ransom. Meanwhile, Duo was supposed to be disguised as one of the terrorists going berserk and shooting Sally. After her fake death, they expected Duo would be hauled off into whatever room the hostages were being kept in. While all of this was happening, Trowa and Quatre were to meet up in the basement and go together to wait in the underground shelter, where Duo and Wufei would take the hostages after they freed them.

Heero was to be the backup. In the event that Duo wasn't taken to the same location as the hostages, Heero was to act as Sally's enraged lover, and threaten to blow the terrorists to kingdom come, from his dummy Wing Zero.

It looked and moved just like the real thing, but it was only a model. It couldn't fly, much to Heero's disappointment. Just when he thought he'd never want to pilot another Gundam again, he couldn't help but wish the phony version was more fully-equipped.

At any event, the plan was, after the terrorists encountered a suicidal Gundam pilot, to scare them into fleeing into the nuclear shelter, where Trowa and Quatre would be waiting to apprehend them. They would lock them in there while they went about deactivating the bomb, and Heero and the others would free the hostages.

But anyone who knew Heero well enough should have known that he couldn't just sit around and await further instruction. Not when Relena's life was at stake.

As he waited in the woods outside the Sanc Castle, Heero tried to fight the sickness that roiled his stomach. He had the uneasy feeling that the hostages weren't all being kept in the same place, and that finding all of them wouldn't be as simple a task as Quatre and the others predicted. The terrorist group was only about twenty men strong, but it was more than enough to overpower the two hundred or so guests and staff at Relena's party. They had guns; the civilians didn't. And clearly Relena's own security team hadn't been enough to stop them.

Heero's mind was racing through all of the possibilities, as if the Zero System had taken over his brain. He knew it was just remnants, echoes of not-so long ago, but it was impossible to keep from thinking the worst. Relena was a beautiful girl, and these were evil men, and Heero couldn't let another second tick by without knowing exactly where she was.

Heero didn't wait for further orders. He left the dummy Wing Zero in the woods and infiltrated the castle on foot. He knew the place like the back of his hand. He scaled the main iron gate before scaling a brick wall and making his way onto the roof of the center structure. He only had a pistol on him, but he took out two guards on the roof, avoiding shooting any major arteries while managing to disarm them. That task done, he climbed over the roof's ledge and worked his way down the side of the building, until he came to the balcony that led to Relena's bedroom.

Morbid thoughts taunted him as he dropped onto the balcony, and he could only hope his darkest fears would not be confirmed before his eyes.

He knew the French doors would be locked before he even tried either of the knobs. And anyway, he didn't want to alert anyone of his arrival. He preferred to rely on the element of surprise.

Raising his arms, his weapon pointed upward, Heero made a brief running start before bursting through the glass doors. The smashing sound shattered all around him, but there was one voice resonating in his ears.

"Heero!"

Relief washed over him as her voice found his ears, even before his eyes found her. _Relena._ Alive.

She was propped up on her bed, her hands tied behind her back, and her blue eyes were wide and terrified as Heero approached. Shards of broken glass clung to his clothes and hair, but Heero didn't let that slow him down. After briefly scanning the rest of the room and confirming that they were alone, he lowered his weapon and rushed to Relena's side.

She was wearing a white party dress that was torn and dirty, with flecks of blood that he prayed did not belong to her. Heero felt his chest squeeze.

"How badly are you hurt?" he demanded as he worked to untie her. Her hands were zip-tied and he needed his knife to cut through the nylon restraints.

"I'm all right," Relena said quietly. As soon as Heero freed her hands, she flung her arms around his neck. "Heero…" Her voice hitched. "I can't believe you're really here…" He felt her shoulders heave before she burst into sobs, soaking his shirt with her tears. Heero clutched her tightly to his chest and let her cry, as rage built inside of him.

"It's all right," he murmured into her hair. Internally, he was fuming. "You're safe now. I'm getting you out of here."

Relena pulled back from him, a protest welling up in her eyes. "We can't leave the others!" she cried. "There are two hundred other people here, Heero, who need our help! And what about the bomb? And-"

Heero gripped her shoulders tightly. "Calm down," he said gently. "I'll get you out of here and take you somewhere safe. Then I'll come back for everyone else. The other pilots are here," he added. "No doubt they've already located some of the others." Relena's eyes widened.

"Everyone's here?"

Heero nodded. "Everything's going to be fine. You just have to trust me."

Relena held his gaze for a moment before nodding. "I trust you, Heero. You know I do."

Heero lifted a hand to her face, and brushed a finger along her lashline to wipe her tears. And then the very stupid realization struck him that they were alone, on a bed - _her_ bed - and that was a scenario he had only mentally entertained, but never encountered before. He turned his head to the side as shame simmered within him.

"Let's go." He held his hands out to her, and she readily accepted. Heero pulled Relena to her feet and led her out to the balcony. Only then did she pause to gawp at him.

"You want me to jump?!" She all but shrieked as cast a wary look down at the manicured lawns below.

"No," Heero said curtly. "You're going to hold onto me, and I'm going to climb down." Relena shook her head rapidly.

"There's no way that's safe."

"It's safer than staying here, or trying to escape through another part of the castle," Heero said firmly. "That's why I asked you to trust me." Relena was frowning at him, but she nodded and did as he instructed. Once she was secured on his back, her arms looped around his neck, her legs carefully tucked around his torso, Heero ambled over the side of the balcony and began his descent.

It was only after Heero made sure Relena was safely inside the fake Wing Zero, armed with a handgun of her own, that he made his way back to the castle to locate the others and commence the rest of the operation.

And once all was said and done - the terrorists arrested and the bomb located and deactivated - Heero reunited with Relena and left the phony Gundam to the Preventers. He stole a motorcycle and sped out of the city with the former Sanc princess on his back.


	6. Dress

At the northwestern edge of the Sanc Kingdom, near the former border of what was once Denmark, laid a peninsula that stretched far into the North Sea. It was there Heero had discovered an abandoned cottage, well-stocked and with modern amenities. He came across it during his explorations of the region when he was staying in Sanc, and determined the place had to have belonged to some member of the local nobility, or perhaps even the royal family itself. It was a quiet, secluded retreat, and Heero used to escape there every now and then to sort out his thoughts, back when he was still trying to determine whether he could put his trust in Relena and her ideals. Ultimately, of course, he decided to not only trust her, but to defend her life with his own.

He wound his stolen motorcycle through unpaved back roads, wanting to avoid any main thoroughfares. The situation in Sanc was secure, as far as he knew, but that didn't mean there weren't additional enemies lurking elsewhere. At any rate, Heero felt that he could never be too careful.

After he'd parked the bike on the side of the cottage and dismounted, he turned to help Relena over the side of the bike. She removed the helmet he'd given her and shook out her hair, sending long, loose waves tumbling over her shoulders.

She looked blankly at the small, weather-beaten structure, then turned back to Heero. "What is this place?"

Heero gave her the same answer he would later give Une. "Somewhere that's safe."

Relena eyed him skeptically before nodding her head. "All right," she said simply.

Keeping one of her hands in his, Heero led her up the wooden walkway to the porch, and up to the front door of the cottage, where he'd added a metal keypad the last time he was there. He dropped her hand while he punched in his four-digit access code, then pushed the door open. Once they'd stepped inside, he closed and bolted the door behind them.

Heero watched Relena's face as she took in her new surroundings. Her eyes darted over to the small kitchen and its relatively modern finishes. The kitchen was open to the adjacent living room, which was furnished with an old, but expensive-looking leather couch and matching armchair. In the back of the small space was a single bedroom with a modest bathroom. Relena's eyes were wide and curious as she took a few tentative steps forward into the living room.

Her hand drifted over the top of the armchair before she turned her head to look back at Heero.

"I have so many questions," she said.

He cracked a smile. "You have plenty of time to ask them. I'm not going anywhere."

Relena's lips quirked. "You mean you didn't bring me here to leave me to fend for myself?"

"Of course not," Heero said, even though he knew she would never really think that of him. They knew each other well enough, by now. He took a few steps forward and came to stand beside her. He realized that his feet were acting of their own accord; he'd never been accustomed to just… following her around. But now that they were alone, he was becoming hyper-aware of the way she seemed to pull him into her orbit. He wondered, not for the first time, if she had any idea of the effect she had on him.

Right now, Relena was regarding him with an air of amusement. "Just two years ago, you would've been bringing me here to kill me." Heero gave a snort.

"I wouldn't have put in this level of effort."

Relena gaped in response. "Am I supposed to find that comforting?"

Heero frowned down at her. "Do you think I would hurt you, now?"

"No." Relena's features appeared to relax. "I didn't think you would back then, either. Not really."

Heero knew she was right; even if he had thought about killing her back then, something always kept him from pulling the trigger. And even then, she had made him far weaker than he cared to admit. But he didn't like to think about that time before, when he was still registering her as his enemy.

"Good," he said instead. "You should get some rest." Relena stayed still and held his gaze for a long moment before nodding, and turning to the side.

"I know, I should," she sighed. "I don't think I've slept in about forty-eight hours."

"Hn." Heero frowned slightly, and leaned over to sweep back a lock of Relena's hair from her shoulder. He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to do so; to offer her a small measure of comfort, maybe. That, or he simply enjoyed touching her hair; it had a silken texture he found pleasing, and looked like spun gold. But the times he felt the need to reach out and touch her, and why, were still a mystery to him.

They had started to grow closer, in a more physical sense, last summer. There had been a few brief embraces here and there, and one rather long one on Christmas Eve, when Relena held Heero after he'd passed out, and waited with him until paramedics arrived to take him to a nearby hospital. For once, he didn't try to bolt while being tended to; in that sense, they had seemingly come full circle. But by then, Heero was already much more comfortable with Relena than he had ever been, and all the more aware of how much he was drawn to her. He was close to the point of acceptance that he needed her, which was a strange, yet familiar, sensation.

He'd already caved to his feelings once. In a move of total abandon, he had pulled Relena in for a hurried, impassioned kiss after they'd said their goodbyes following another harrowing incident last summer. Relena looked shellshocked, and the bold gesture took even _him_ by surprise. And yet he felt he could justify it, after the way she had been cozying up to him at that point; the past few times they had seen each other, they seemed to find themselves in closer and closer proximity. Heero found it baffling at first, when Relena would grab his arm, or his hand, or seem to find some reason to press against him. But it didn't take long for him to realize that he liked it, and she did, too. She _wanted_ to be touched, and she wanted him to touch her.

So he did - tentatively, at first. But now… now that he knew the feel and taste of her lips, the heady, sweet smell of perfume lingering on her neck, even the soft, firm swell of her breasts against her blouse where he rested his head… Now, Heero knew he had discovered something addictive and intoxicating, more so than any rush he'd felt during the heat of battle. And he needed more.

He made a low sound in the back of his throat. "You must be tired," he said lamely.

"Mm-hmm." Relena's eyes watched him closely, bright and assessing, despite the exhaustion she must have felt. "I'm sure I've been running on pure adrenaline." Heero nodded once, knowing exactly what that was like.

"The bedroom's back this way," he said, leading the way to the back of the cottage.

"Actually..." Relena's voice halted him. "Does this place have running water?"

Heero chuckled and turned to look at her over his shoulder, then saw that her face was serious. "Yes," he said, suppressing a smile.

"Oh, good." The former royal looked relieved. "I would _love_ a shower." She smiled brightly at Heero, looking less weary than she did moments ago. "Would that be all right?"

"Uh, of course." Heero gave a grunt and motioned toward the small bathroom. "There's just a shower; no tub," he said as he flicked on the light. Relena peered inside and nodded. "And there are towels in here." He opened the door to a small linen closet to the right of the bathroom door, which also held a stackable washer-dryer unit. "In case you, uh, want to wash anything…" Heero gestured to the unit.

Relena smiled and dipped her head, then pulled at her ruined skirts. "I'm afraid this thing is beyond repair… you wouldn't happen to have some spare clothes I could borrow?" She glanced up shyly at him, her bangs partially covering her eyes.

Heero felt heat fanning his cheeks. _Get a hold of yourself,_ he scolded himself inwardly. He pointed to the adjacent bedroom. "There's some stuff in the bureau… Help yourself. It's all mine," he added, as if he needed to clarify that this was his space, and his alone. "I don't have any women's clothes." Relena gaped up at him.

"You don't?" Her brows shot up, then she smiled, clearly teasing him. "You'll have to start keeping some things for me, then, if you're planning to kidnap me again." Her eyes danced up at him. "Or, at least let me pack a bag next time."

"Kidnap you?" Heero echoed, concern seeping into his tone. Relena giggled.

"Heero, I'm kidding." She rolled her eyes playfully. "Always so serious, aren't you? Anyway…" She turned and pulled a towel down from the shelf in the linen closet. "I'm going to shower now, if you don't mind…"

"Right." Heero sidestepped her to give her space, and Relena swept into the bathroom. She gave Heero a little smile before closing the door.

He took in a deep breath, and it felt as if Relena had taken the oxygen in the room with her. Just when he thought he was coming to grips with his feelings, she managed to go and knock the wind out of him. Her effect was dizzying, and frustrating.

He needed to keep himself distracted. Heero wandered into the kitchen to see what kinds of supplies he'd left the last time. The cupboards were stocked with non-perishable food items, which was fine for a soldier, but not for a former queen. He frowned at the meager offerings, hoping he might find something suitable for her. It's not like he could get to a store…

Heero heard the toilet flush, and the water of the sink run - not that he'd been listening closely, but it was a small place. And, a moment later, he heard his name.

"Heero?"

He all but sprinted to the bathroom door. "Relena?"

The bathroom door opened a crack and Relena peered through the other side. "Can you tell me how to turn on the shower?"

The familiar heat came rushing back to his face. "You just turn the lever."

He could see Relena's pout through the door. "I tried, but it's stuck."

"Let me see."

"Okay." Heero was surprised when the door swung open fully, but Relena was still wearing her dress. He chided himself for even thinking she would be doing otherwise.

Heero leaned into the shower and turned the lever, and the water immediately sprang from the shower head. He had to wonder, from Relena's reaction, whether it was actually stuck.

"Oh," she said with a giggle. "That's how you do it."

"Works fine," Heero said with a shrug. "Are you… good now?"

Relena nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Heero eyed her warily, then motioned back to the lever. "Right for cold, left for hot."

"Yes, I've got it." She gave him another full-watt smile. "Thank you, Heero."

"Great. I'll leave you to it." Heero turned and stepped through the door, and had only made it forward a few feet when he heard his name again.

"Oh, Heero?"

"Yes?" He turned back around to see Relena still standing next to the shower.

"Sorry, one more thing." She frowned and turned, tugging at the back of her dress. "Can you help me get this off?"

Heero blanched, then quickly worked to recover. He walked back to where Relena stood in the bathroom door, her back still to him. The back of her gown was covered in intricate buttons; he wasn't sure he could get them all undone without ripping at least a few. But he did as he was bid, and started working his way down the delicate fabric. He cussed under his breath when one of the satin-covered buttons came flying off, landing somewhere on the hardwood floor.

Relena laughed lightly. "It's fine; I'm going to have to trash this dress, anyway..."

"Hn…" Heero muttered as he willed his trembling fingers to cooperate. "I don't know how the hell you can wear these things…" The dress clearly cinched Relena in, like a corset. "How do you breathe?"

Relena laughed again. "It is rather fussy, isn't it? Not really my style, but it is the fashion around here. That's what the people of Sanc expect to see from their crown princess, you know?"

She continued to chatter breezily as Heero finished with the buttons. And then, once they were fully undone, he couldn't help but stare at the sliver of bare skin that was revealed where the dress was now open in the back. And it was obvious Relena wasn't wearing a bra.

Heero let go of the fabric like it was on fire.

"Relena…"

She was holding her dress up in the front, although Heero realized that the boning structure of the bodice probably would have stayed up on its own. Relena seemed to remember her modesty when she turned to look back at Heero, her face flushed.

"Sorry about that," she said, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of pink. "But I appreciate it."

Heero wondered why she was sorry - _Sorry?!_ He should be thanking _her_ , he thought - but he didn't really know what to say in the moment. He scratched his head and slowly backed away. Relena gave him a funny look before shutting the bathroom door, and Heero could only scratch his head more, trying to figure out what had just transpired.

What he needed was a shower of his own - a cold one, so he could cool the fire that threatened to rage out of control.

But part of him knew it was already too late; Relena had set him ablaze.

* * *

 _A/N: Ow, ow! Is it just me or is it getting hot in here? Apparently my fics have taken a turn for the steamy lately... #sorrynotsorry_

 _You can blame Taylor Swift for writing this sexy song... it gave me all kinds of wicked ideas :D I'm not sure where this story is going to end (I was going to end it a few chapters ago; whoops), but it's going to be fun getting there. Thanks for sticking around for the ride!_

 _I know I've been dabbling in more 3xR lately, so this one is for my fellow rabid 1xR devotees... you know I always got your backs, boos ;)_

 _Happy Sunday Funday!_

 _\- RFP_


	7. Delicate

As Relena took her time in the shower, Heero returned his attention to the kitchen. Since he'd made himself responsible for her care, he figured he should attempt to assemble some sort of dinner for her. But sifting through his stock of canned goods left him feeling dismayed; Relena had probably never eaten anything from a can in her life. The thought might have made him chuckle, but he was worried about her physical state following her ordeal. He hadn't even had a chance to examine her for injuries- at least not as thoroughly as he should have…

His face flamed at the thought. Well. He'd nearly had a chance. She'd asked him to help her undress, after all. He supposed that shouldn't have surprised him; this _was_ the girl who tore apart her own dress, shortly after they met, to wrap his wounds. And after he'd tried to kill her, no less…

Heero shook his head, smiling slightly as he surveyed his supplies. Relena was one of a kind; there was no doubt about it.

And she was so close, for a change. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing about him- how unusual their current predicament was. It was hard to believe they'd only crossed paths a handful of times over the past year or so. And yet each moment of those encounters was burned into his memory, and steadily increasing in intensity…

Heero heard the abrupt sound of the shower shutting off, wresting him from his thoughts. After a moment he heard the bathroom door open and the bedroom door close. He wondered idly if Relena might need help finding something to wear, his mind clinging to the still-fresh image of her long hair tumbling over the bare skin of her back. It was a difficult thing to ignore, as was the tightening sensation in his trousers... an inconvenient interruption. Heero scowled. He needed to reroute his attention elsewhere, but that task was proving to rival some of his fiercest battles. Which, he realized, was stupid. He was a guy. She was a girl. This was a universal occurrence; there was nothing new or special or significant about his attraction to her.

Even as he stood in denial, staring uselessly at the granite countertop, he knew better.

Heero decided he would wait for Relena to emerge before he selected which cans of food to serve, if he could even call them that. At least there was something for them to eat, he reasoned. Things could have been worse.

But after awhile, when she still hadn't left the bedroom, Heero's nagging worries returned. He strode the small distance of the cottage to the bedroom and rapped lightly on the door.

"Relena…"

He frowned when he heard no answer. He tried again, a little more loudly.

"Relena?"

When she still didn't answer him, he tried the door handle and found it unlocked. He pushed it open and stepped into the darkened room. As light flooded in, Heero saw Relena, splayed across the middle of the bed, her long hair fanned out around her. She was wearing an old tank top of his and a pair of sweatpants. Both items were oversized on her lithe frame, and the sight of his clothes on her gave Heero an ache in his chest that was starting to feel familiar...

He stood watching her in silence for a moment, awestruck by how beautiful she was. Then he chided himself for the base observation, because of course she was. It was hardly a startling revelation, yet it struck him all the same. However, he knew he would be drawn to her no matter what she looked like. It was something she possessed; a power she had over him like no one else. It was who she was and what she meant to him. He'd first felt that pull long ago, and had spent the past few years struggling to explain or define it, even to himself.

He was at a profound loss over what to do about it, though. And so he stood, stupefied, his eyes glued to the rising and falling of Relena's chest, the shirt she'd borrowed from him teasing more skin while keeping the most tantalizing parts covered.

Heero shook his head to turn his thoughts, and it felt like forcing himself to wake from a dream. Which was all this was, he told himself, and all it could be. He had brought her there to protect her, but that needn't involve standing guard at her door all night. She was safe, now; he had seen to it. All that was left to do was let her rest and recover.

Heero stepped into the room and crept over to the side of the bed. He carefully pried the blanket beneath Relena loose enough to drape half of it over her. She stirred only slightly, turning over and cocooning herself inside the folds of fabric.

Taking another blanket and pillow with him, Heero set about making a bed for himself on the leather couch. It was only slightly less comfortable than the twin mattress in his university flat. Not the best place he'd ever slept, but far from the worst.

Sleep never found him that night; at least it didn't feel that way. His thoughts were still wrapped up in Relena and what she may or may not have suffered during the attack on the Sanc castle. He kept picturing her, tied up on her bed, her white gown torn and bloodied. His feverish mind made the memory even worse than it was, and a fresh wave of fury surged through his veins. He wanted to go back there and find the men who'd held her captive, and take his time showing them the true meaning of pain...

He still didn't know what they'd done to her, and part of him didn't want to. But he would likely find out one way or another; it was part of the investigation, and once Preventer questioned her, Relena would undoubtedly cooperate and disclose everything she knew. Heero felt a small measure of comfort when he remembered how she'd acted when he brought her into the cottage earlier that night; like her normal, if a little brazen, self. He reasoned that she couldn't be too traumatized if she could smile and tease him like that. But then he remembered how frightened she'd been when he found her in the castle, the wild look in her eyes. How he'd held her as she cried.

She had surprised him with her strength in the past, but Heero knew it was tempered by a fragility she rarely showed to anyone, any more. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her cry, or even look like she was about to lose her composure. Instead he recalled how time and again she'd told him she wanted to be strong, like him. But he had always seen her as far stronger than he could ever be. He wondered if, to this day, she fully understood the extent of his weakness, despite the glimpses he'd given her. Falling into her arms mere months ago, yielding to her, letting her hold him and safeguard him, for once. It was a vulnerability he'd be running from, but Heero was done running. Whatever he was feeling now… it was an awful lot like surrender.

He didn't know what that meant for him - for _them_ \- but he was beginning to formulate a plan…

* * *

Relena slept through the night and morning; Heero didn't want to wake her when she clearly needed the rest. It was late morning when she finally resurfaced, bleary-eyed and asking for coffee. Fortunately, that was one area in which Heero could indulge her. And while he only had the instant variety on hand, Relena didn't seem to mind.

She had taken her coffee outside to the porch when Heero received the call. Une, berating him for his rash actions. Heero only half-listened to the Preventer commander's reprimand before ending the call with a promise to return Relena to the castle in a few days' time. He wasn't sure how long they'd need at the beachfront hideaway, but he wanted to ensure she would have ample time to recover from her trauma before being swept back into the demands of her daily life. And Heero didn't care how chipper she was acting; he knew Relena had to be shaken by what she had gone through.

He joined her outside on the porch, where she sat facing the beach, the sea breeze whipping her long hair behind her. She didn't turn her head at his steps, continuing to stare out at the North Sea, sparkling silver in the near distance, the barest hint of sunlight slipping through the gray clouds above. She only looked up as he sat down beside her, and offered him a smile.

She was still wearing his tank top and pants, but there was a chill in the early April air. Heero shrugged out of his Preventers jacket and offered it to Relena. She quickly accepted it, brightening as he slung it across her shoulders.

They sat and talked together, wiling away what remained of the morning, and Heero was filled with a contentment he'd never really known before. He knew it was all due to the girl beside him, and her unique ability to soothe him. He was realizing more and more how easy it was to stay by her side- far easier than running, as it turned out. But he'd started coming to that conclusion a while ago. It was hard to believe he'd once planned to stay far from her; of course, he'd failed at that as badly as following through on his empty threats to kill her...

"So what will you do next?" Relena asked after a while, tilting her face to look at him.

"Next?" Heero didn't have an answer for that; not exactly. He knew what he wanted, but-

"You know. After you take me back to Sanc," Relena clarified.

"We are in Sanc," Heero said. "You're free to go any time." Relena arched a brow at that.

"Really? Shall I teach myself how to drive the motorcycle you stole, or just limp away in my busted high heels?"

Heero frowned and glanced down at her feet, even though they were bare. "They're busted?"

"Well, they will be if I attempt to walk that dirt road in them." Relena sighed and stretched her arms over her head, the black and green Preventers jacket slipping from her shoulders. "I guess I'd better stay put, for now. But how long are we going to hide out here?"

"Depends," Heero said with a shrug.

"On what?"

"On you," he said evenly. "On however long you need to… process what's happened."

Relena's expression flattened. "Oh. Well. I've processed." She turned away from Heero, her eyes scanning the gray horizon. "I don't need to process any more."

Heero sat studying her hooded eyes for a moment, searching for what he should say. He didn't want to risk upsetting her further. "Do you... want to talk about it?" he asked at last, still at a loss. Relena shook her head firmly.

"No. I'm fine, really. It's everyone else I'm worried about. I have no idea what happened after I was separated from the group, and I-" She stopped short, turning to Heero with wet eyes. A muscle clenched in her jaw. "I feel like… like this is my fault. I was responsible for my guests. If I hadn't brought them there, if I-"

"It's not your fault," Heero said vehemently, his stomach twisting. If anything, it was _his_ fault for not being there in the first place, but they'd already gone over that, and she'd insisted he shouldn't shoulder the blame, either. "The rescue mission was successful," he reminded her gently. "The situation is secured, and everyone is safe, now. That's the best result we could hope for."

Most importantly, Relena was out of harm's way. That was really all he cared about. The fact that there were no civilian casualties was an added bonus, but he would choose her life over thousands. Their lives would be meaningless without her, anyway, he reasoned. He knew his would be.

Heero shifted in his seat on the edge of the porch, sinking his feet deeper into the sand. He watched as Relena wriggled her own toes next to his. He looked up to see her smiling at him again.

"You and I are too hard on ourselves sometimes, aren't we?" she sighed. "We have that in common."

Heero met her steady gaze. "Yeah."

"So..." Relena's left foot drifted toward Heero's right, tapping it lightly in the sand. He stiffened at the sudden contact. "Back to you, and your plans," she continued. "I don't mean to pry, or anything. I'm just curious…" She paused and tapped her chin with her index finger, her eyes drifting skyward. "Where will Heero Yuy go off to next? And when might he show up again, out of the blue? Even after all this time, he's still too mysterious to track..." She lowered her gaze back to him, grinning. "Makes a girl wonder."

Heero's lips tugged upward. Her playfulness was reassuring. "I don't know," he quipped. "Haven't really thought about it."

"That's a lie." Relena's eyes were shrewd as ever. "You plan out your every move, don't you?"

"Not always."

"You planned this." Relena swept her hands around them. "You had to…"

"Not really." She gaped at his answer.

"I don't believe you. You've been planning this all along, haven't you?"

Heero shook his head once. "Like I told you before, I found this place a while back. I didn't plan to take you here today. It's just a coincidence."

Her laugh startled him. "Coincidence? Yeah, right." Relena tugged at the tank top she wore, and Heero could glimpse the tops of her breasts. " _This_ is no coincidence, Heero Yuy, and you know it." Her eyes were dancing up at him, which Heero knew only because he was forcing himself to meet them. "I see this shirt in my dreams, you know," she added, her lips curving upward. "So," she continued unabated. "You just stumbled across this place, and decided to… commandeer it for your own purposes? And then you brought _me_ here…"

"I had to bring you somewhere safe, and secluded," Heero protested. "This just… came to mind."

"Uh-huh," Relena quipped. "Right."

Heero frowned at her. "You make it sound like I'm trying to seduce you."

Both of her eyebrows rose. "Are you?"

"No," Heero said flatly, ignoring the flash of heat scalding his neck. If anything, she had tried to seduce _him_ , but he wasn't about to accuse her of that. He was trying to do the right thing, even if she was all he really wanted.

But if he was going to work for her… he needed to tread carefully. It was a delicate matter.

"Relax, Heero," Relena said, bumping his shoulder with hers. "I was only teasing."

"Hn." That was a loaded statement, but Heero kept the observation to himself.

"You could come back to Brussels with me, though," she added softly. "If you wanted…" She paused and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze falling to the sand. "I know you have school and everything, but-"

"I can take classes anywhere," Heero finished for her, surprising himself with his rapid response. Relena's head snapped up, her eyes showing her own surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's this thing called the internet," he deadpanned. Relena's eyes rolled.

"I _know_ you can study remotely, Heero. I just didn't think you'd want to…" She dropped her gaze again. "But… if you did… I have plenty of room at my new place… I'm just saying." She gave a careless shrug, as if it didn't matter to her what he chose, although he knew it did.

"Sure," he said just as carelessly.

"What, just like that?" Relena whirled on him. "Are you so easy to trap after all, Heero? You should have told me long ago… you could have saved me the trouble of tracking you down all those times, or pining away for you to visit me now and then, when really, all I had to do was ask… _Ugh,_ " she finished with a groan, throwing her hands in the air, although it was plain to see she was more excited than angry. Especially when she turned gleaming eyes up to meet his.

"You're too much, Heero," she added, and the fond look that followed her words was unmistakable.

"Sorry," he said with another shrug. Relena rolled her eyes again, but a smile spread slowly across her lips.

"I forgive you," she said, "but only because you've agreed to stay with me, now. And no going back on your word, either," she added firmly, wagging a finger at him. "You promise?"

Heero nodded once. Relena shot him an exasperated look, but the smile playing at the corners of her lips betrayed her. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, just as she had the previous summer. The same day he'd kissed her for the first - and the only - time…

"I'm not letting you get away from me again, Heero," she said. He smirked over her head, reaching over to pull his fallen jacket back around her shoulders.

"You're one to talk," he muttered.

"Oh?" She raised her head to look back up at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're the one with a knack for getting into trouble," he said wryly.

"Well, if you do stay with me then you won't have to worry about that anymore, will you?" Relena replaced her head on his shoulder, this time looping both her arms through his. Heero secretly savored the contact, allowing himself to rest his head atop hers.

"Hn."

"So you'll continue your course work online, then?"

"I guess." It wasn't the most appealing option, but then he wasn't all that interested in school at the moment.

"What are you studying now?"

"Engineering."

"That's impressive, for a seventeen-year-old," she observed. "When did you have time to finish high school during the war, anyway?"

"When did you?" Heero shot back.

"I took a test."

"So did I."

"Well," Relena said with a huff, "you're still onto college courses, already. Much better than me."

"You have a job," he pointed out. "I'd rather be working myself."

"No, you wouldn't." He felt Relena shake her head beneath him. "Enjoy school - and your youth - while you can," she said with all the wisdom of an old sage. "It'll be gone before you know it."

Heero found the statement funny, considering how much of their youth was already gone- how much had been lost to the war. They'd both experienced far more than they should have at their age, but that was ultimately what had threaded them together.

And he didn't want to sever that tie anytime soon.

"I'll probably look for a job when I get to Brussels," he said, at last bringing the conversation to where he'd wanted it to go.

"Doing what?"

He loosed a low chuckle. "Personal security."

"Oh? And where could you do that?" Heero could hear the smile in her voice.

"I know of someone who may be hiring. Or should be," he added gruffly.

" _Pffft._ And who might _that_ be?" Relena asked, her voice dripping.

"This young female diplomat who keeps getting kidnapped," Heero quipped. "It's annoying. I'd like to try to prevent that from now on."

"Maybe you should try the Preventers," she retorted.

"I doubt they'd pay me to devote myself to one person full-time. But I have a feeling ESUN might."

Heero swore he felt Relena shiver against him, although it could have been from the wind.

"I see," she said after a beat. "Well, it sounds like it could be an advantageous position for you…"

He scoffed mockingly. "I'm sure I'll have my work cut out for me."

"Well, it's a good thing you like a challenge, then." Relena arched back enough that Heero had to move his head, but her arms remained laced through his. She turned her head and looked up at him with smiling eyes. "So… when can you start?"

Heero barely managed to suppress the grin that tugged at his own lips as he faced Relena, sitting so close beside him, reminding him of that shuttle ride last year. And just like then, he was tempted to reach up and brush the loose hair from her face, and promise to protect her with his life. For the rest of his life.

This time, he just allowed himself to smile.

"I think I already have."

* * *

 _A/N: Hmm... This feels suspiciously like an ending, doesn't it? Whaddya say, fam? Is it over?! I did say I may keep this story open for a while, and keep adding fluffy little vignettes as I feel like it, but... we shall see. I do have a lot of other pending works in progress to update, and I don't want to keep any one of you waiting too long. :D_

 _I am feeling extra emotional, as this past weekend I had the joy of hosting not one but two GW authors in my home! ^_^ It was a dream come true! Scarlet Eve and I have been real-life friends for years now - and yes, we met on here - and now we've had the pleasure of meeting Mistaken Miracles in person. I can't even tell you how extraordinary it was to have so much beauty, brains and talent all in one room ;) Yassss I talk us up, but it really was too good to be true. At one point I looked around our little group, sipping cocktails at a waterfront bar, and thought,_ Wow. We are all here because of this little anime that came into our lives in the early 00s... how can that be? But here we are! _It's just amazing to be able to sit and talk with like-minded people, but you all know what a special little fandom this is :D And I want you to know that if you're reading this, I treasure you, too, and wish we could all hang out in person. Maybe someday I'll make my 1xR meetup goals a reality!_

 _Thank you for helping to keep this fandom alive by reading and reviewing!_

 _Love, hugs and Heero,_

 _\- RFP_


End file.
